News in brief

LR to host national waterways summit

Little Rock has been selected as host of the 2015 National Waterways Conference.

The annual industry gathering to discuss navigation, levy safety, water resources and other waterways issues is scheduled Sept. 16-18 at the Little Rock Marriott. Gene Higginbotham, Arkansas Waterways Commission executive director, said bringing the event to Little Rock has been a priority of his since he gained the position in 2012.

"Arkansas is third in the nation for inland waterways miles, and this conference gives us a chance to showcase all of our state's waterways," Higginbotham said. "Little Rock will be a great host city."

Members of the National Waterways Conference include flood control associations, levee boards, shippers, industry associations, port authorities and shipyards. Next year's meeting will be the 55th.

-- Chris Bahn

Ozarks bank shares sell for $9.3 million

Ross Whipple, a director at Bank of the Ozarks and former chairman of Summit Bank of Arkadelphia, has sold shares of the Little Rock bank totaling almost $9.3 million since Aug. 26, according to a federal filing this week.

Whipple sold 285,000 shares in five trades, the filing indicates. He sold the stock for between $32 and $33.81 a share.

Whipple sold Summit Bank to Bank of the Ozarks in January for about $216 million, primarily in Bank of the Ozarks stock.

He still owns about 2 million shares of Bank of the Ozarks stock worth about $68 million.

The shares fell 11 cents Friday to close at $33.86.

-- David Smith

State index declines 1.49; 11 stocks fall

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 1.49 to 352.93 on Friday.

Eleven stocks declined and six advanced.

USA Truck gained 3.7 percent in light trading.

Home BancShares climbed 1.5 percent on heavy volume.

Bear State Financial finished down 3.3 percent in light trading.

For the week, 11 stocks were up and six lost ground.

USA Truck had the best week, gaining 5.5 percent.

ArcBest rose 5.2 percent for the week.

P.A.M. Transportation shares fell 5.5 percent for the week.

Total volume of the index Friday was 35.3 million shares. The average daily volume for the week was 17.8 million shares.

The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.

Business on 09/20/2014

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